Electronic warfare simulators for radar and electronic radio frequency emitters are generally known in the art, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,010,342 to Jones, Jr.; 5,150,127 to Aw; 5,133,663 to Willingham, et al.; 4,666,407 to Jones; 5,134,412 to Baseghi, et al.; and 4,192,082 to Deaton, et al. Jones, Jr. '342 discloses a radar testing apparatus, while Aw, Willingham, et al., and Jones '407 disclose simulators which include the ability to reproduce various radar signatures; Deaton, et al. and Baseghi, et al. teach training simulators.
Jones, Jr. '342 discloses a portable radar testing apparatus which, when connected to a transmitting means (such as a waveguide horn antenna), provides a radar signal to test a radar receiver or other electronic warfare equipment.
Aw discloses a radar signature simulator for use in electronic warfare and training of intercept operators. Recorded video portions of radar signatures as they appear at the point of intercept on a video tape recorder are simply played back to produce video signals, which are transmitted to a receiving antenna.
Willingham, et al. discloses a portable radar simulator which, when connected to a transmitting means, such as magnetron generated microwave threat transmitter, simulates up to 2048 preprogrammed radar signatures.
Jones '407 discloses a radar signature simulator for producing a pattern of radar signatures and transmitting them to a receiver during training.
Baseghi, et al. discloses an apparatus and method for simulating radio frequency emitters in order to train electronic warfare radar receiver operators.
Deaton, et al. discloses an electronic warfare simulator system in which a computer produces simulated radar signals that duplicate the characteristics of real world radar emitters. These characteristic signals are inputted to an electronic pulse analyzer in active electronic warfare equipment.
Other simulator systems are known which include, generally, individual signal sources capable of operation over a broad frequency range of from about 10 kilohertz to about 20 gigahertz, separate signal modulation apparatus capable of a wide range of modulation types, individual signal receivers and separate received-signal processing equipment, electronic radiation equipment, different radiating and receiving antennas, and multiple cables and waveguides for conveying equipment power and signals to and from the respective antennas. While such equipment is often commercially available, additional equipment units may be custom fabricated and specially supplied.
Individual units of equipment for both laboratory and field electronic warfare test facilities are known. These units can be assembled to form facilities dedicated to developmental testing, determination of electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic vulnerability, operational testing, and exploitation of communications-electronics equipment. Rather than being dedicated to simulating specific electronic warfare threat hardware, these electronic warfare facilities are generalized, reconfigurable systems.
The electronic warfare equipment consists of semitrailer-van-mounted jamming systems including computer-controlled waveform generation and radio frequency modules. These jamming systems include the capability of generating a variety of waveforms for radar simulation, radar jamming, communications simulation, and communications jamming for a wide range of frequencies from, for example, 100 megahertz through 15.4 gigahertz. The lower frequency limit may be extensible to 10 kHz with ancillary equipment. Power output (at the antenna) may range from about 1000 watts for the low frequency bands to 200 watts or less at the higher frequencies. Actual effective radiated power, of course, is dependent upon the antenna system selected.
The known van-mounted jamming equipment units may be configured and operated automatically from a computer control console; controlled remotely via microwave, hardwire, or fiber optics link; or manually configured and operated for non-standard waveforms. Antenna positioning systems are desirable to position the jamming antennas in azimuth and elevation.
The van-mounted equipment units may also include radio frequency (RF) command and control communications systems, timing receivers, and RF signal and waveform monitoring equipment, such as spectrum analyzers, frequency counters and oscilloscopes. Such equipment conventionally requires heavy duty power sources, such as 3-phase, 4-wire, 60-Hz power generators with 120 volts alternating current line-to-common, or 208 volts alternating current line-to-line, at 30 kilowatts or greater capacity. When van-mounted for the mobility needed for field testing, very large mobile generators are required.
Known jammer systems may also be palletized, with consequent limitations in power, frequency range, and other operating characteristics. They may be configured to be operated from a helicopter, or they may be trailer-mounted for ground deployment.
Typical antenna systems required for ground deployment and operation for either pelletized or van-mounted systems include, for example, a 30-foot, outrigger-stabilized, erectable antenna tower as part of the installation.
Various modulation forms may be used. Operation of the jammers may be computer controlled via keyboard/monitor from a computer. Jamming signals may be monitored from one or more frequency counters and power meters. Jammer signal data may be monitored and stored on diskettes in operator-selectable time increments of up to about 60 seconds. Data such as the following can normally be recorded: center frequency, programmed effective radiated power (ERP), spot noise deviation, modulation file name, transmission time, comb generator frequencies enabled, calibration status and/or RF power output versus time.
In addition, pelletized jammer equipment may contain command and control communications. Power requirement for airborne use is typically 28 volts direct current at 260 amperes. For ground use, a mobile single-phase, 60-Hz, 120 volts alternating current, 10-kilowatt capacity generator is typically required.
The known simulation equipment when deployed for field test and information gathering will typically include at least one large semi-trailer van equipped to provide test signal waveform generation (which may be computer controlled) and high power radio frequency emissions capability to one or more large antenna structures, which are normally directional and capable of orientation in both azimuth and elevation, as well as the usual command and control communications. A receiving antenna and at least one additional large semi-trailer van equipped for signal reception and processing is required. Since high operating power is required, high power mobile generating sources are also required for mobility.
The known electronic warfare simulators for radar and electronic radio frequency emitters are thus large and unwieldy, and require substantial operating power sources, which are also unwieldy. The prior art methods of operating electronic warfare simulators for radar and electronic radio frequency emitters are limited in their ability to replicate certain unknown signal parameters and uncontrollable variables from the benign and/or battlefield environments. They are also incapable of receive operation mode through the use of direct injection of jamming signals into a "victim" receiver, and are unable to immediately incorporate resulting benign environment effects of the desired signal before the jamming as well as on the jamming signal itself by recording such effects. They are further unable to replay these recorded characteristics and signals in a laboratory environment to develop statistically significant databases.